WHATCHA READING?
Bestsellers of 1950 still available at the library
Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov14

A tribute to a fine Librarian
“The success or failure of a library is greatly dependent upon its head librarian. Cook Memorial Library has been fortunate. Until her death in 1951, Mrs. Mitchell achieved for the library a record of outstanding service and tangible results. Under her direction the activity and services of the library flourished and steadily increased. No project too small or too large, Mrs. Mitchell found time to contribute to almost every worthy public endeavor. Whenever possible she lent the full support of the library to the cause.”18

Catherine Littler took over as head librarian upon Mrs. Mitchell’s passing. “She had worked with her predecessor for four years before that time, commencing her employment at Cook Library in 1947. Mrs. Littler led the library through 15 years of increasingly rapid growth. The collection out-grew the space in the Cook House, and the staff increased in size from three part-time employees to eight employees, four pages, and a bookmobile driver.”15

In 1952, the Cook Library required renovations including the refurbishing of windows, roof gutters, and exterior wall repair to prevent water damage to the interior and the books. As large a problem as this was, financing the project proved to be an equal challenge. Thankfully, Ansel and Emily Cook had set
aside a trust fund that the town was able to use out of
necessity. Unfortunately, the money had initially been set
aside for expansion of the current library or construction of
a new building. Though the newly renovated building looked
and functioned well, it left trust fund empty and the people
asking, “What will we do next time?”22